Definitive Tech Speakers Reviews????

T

Twinkle

Audiophyte
CAN ANYONE PLS. GUIDE ME FOR DEFINITIVE TECH. SPEAKERS PERFORMACE . I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING THE FOLLOWING SETUP FOR HOME THEATRE :-

FRONT SPEAKERS :- BP 7002 OR BP 7004
CENTRE SPEAKER :- CLR 2300
SURROUND SPEAKERS :- BP2X

RECIEVER :- DENON AVR 3805

PLS. SOMEONE SUGGEST ME IF THE ABOVE SYSTEM IS FEASIBLE. PLS. NOTE THAT I AM NOT USING A SEPARATE SUB FOR MY ROOM . MY ROOM SIZE IF 18' X 18' ( 324 SQ. FT.)

IS THERE ANY BETTER OPTION OTHER THAN DEF TECH IN THIS RANGE ?

WAITING FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL & SINCERE SUGGESTIONS.

THANKS

TWINKLE.
EMAIL :- PRUTHI9@YAHOO.CO.IN
 
soundjunkie

soundjunkie

Audioholic Intern
Twinkle,
I too am concidering the Def Tech's for my home theater. I really like the setup, the tonal qualities, and the way the speakers work together. Musically I think there are other speakers to concider, but for my "movie room", they are a strong contender. I haven't seen much talk about these speakers on this forum, as things really tend to weigh toward PSB, MA, and a few others. I'm not sure if experience with Def Tech's equipment is limited, or people just don't like them. I actually help a co-worker set up a Def Tech system with 2000 mains, with a Yamaha 1400 AV Receiver. It was quite impressive in my book. The inspeaker subs added a good overall sound for movie soundtracks, but if you want earth shaking, I would add a Super Cube or Reference sub.

I've posted too about the new line of 7000 series speakers. Looking forward to hearing those too. I would also like to hear the new Mythos speakers too.

I'll keep check on your thread too to see what kind of response you get. :D
 
D

dpjones

Audioholic Intern
I don't have a professional opinion, but I'll give my 2 cents. The first time I heard Def Techs I was really impressed. It was at a local Ultimate Electronics store and they were playing U-571. The low end was awesome and I went away loving them. Doing more research on them I really loved the fact they had surrounds with power subs. Ultimate didn't have them hooked up, but the idea seemed like a good one to me. So, when I wired my theater room I made sure to run power to where each of my 4 surronds were going. Giving in to room esthetics (did I spell that right???), I chose to have cabinetry build from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. This means my front speakers will be hidden inside the cabinet. I then realized the Def Techs may not work too well inside a cabinet since they are a Bipolar design. I was really bummed until I went back to Ultimate to listem to them again. Instead of just movies, I played some music through them. I was no longer as impressed. Yes, still plenty of low end, but other than that, I was dissapointed. Maybe it was the room, the speaker placement, etc... but this made my decision easy to no longer consider them. Just my opinion, but if you are wanting a system for music as well as movies, you may want to listen to other options. Regardless, if you like the way they sound for the material you want to listen to, get them. I'm personally trying to decide between the B&W Nautilus 800 series and the Monitor Audio Gold Reference series. I agree that you don't see too much about the Def Techs when you read what people are actually using in their systems. I'm leaning towards the Monitor Audios because I can't hear the difference in price of the B&Ws.
 
U

UNAUTHORIZED

Guest
THANKS GUYS FOR YR OPINIONS .

PRACTICALLY I WOULD LIKE TO USE MY SYSTEM MORE FOR MOVIES THAN FOR THE MUSIC. I DONOT HAVE ANY PARTICULAR CHOICE FOR MUSIC LISTENING BUT SURELY WOULD NOT LIKE TO HAVE A SYSTEM WITH MORE AS A HT THEN AUDIO PLAYING. IT SHOULD BE A BLEND OF BOTH.

BUT AS FAR THE REVIEWS ARE CONCERNED PEOPLE OVER OTHER SITES ARE QUITE HAPPY USING THESE AS BOTH HT & AUDIO.

YOU CAN ALSO CHECK THESE REVIEWS AT:-

http://audioholics.audioreview.com/Main+Speaker/Definitive Technology/PRD_119397_1594crx.aspx

I HAVE LISTENED TO JBL NORTHRIDGE SERIES ALSO . ANY SUGGESTION ABOUT THAT??? SET UP WAS :-

FRONT SPK - E 90 ; CENTRE - EC 25 ; SURROUND E 10
RECIEVER - HARMAN KARDON - 4450

I THINK THAT THESE WERE OK BUT STILL VERY CONFUSED.???

KINDLY SUGGEST .........

THANKS

TWINKLE
 
zipper

zipper

Full Audioholic
I listened to a pr of Deftechs with the sub built in about a year ago.Thought they were ok,but not for $1400. I think there are better deals out there.I ended up getting Axiom M60's($800) & am very happy with them.Of course they don't have a built in sub,so it's kind of an apples & oranges thing. Bottom line for me was that I tried the Axioms & they sounded better than any of the stuff I listened to in stores for around $1000 so I kept them.
 
M

MrKlister

Junior Audioholic
I used to have BP6's. Loved the bass, loved them for movies, but as stated in an earlier post, did not really like them for music. Since I listen to music alot, they are no longer in my system.
 
G

GeorgeM

Audioholic
I'd certainly have a listen to Def Tech's Mythos line. Marry those to a quality sub and you'll have an impressive, competitive HT system.

-GeorgeM
 
J

Jason Coleman

Banned
Twinkle said:
CAN ANYONE PLS. GUIDE ME FOR DEFINITIVE TECH. SPEAKERS PERFORMACE . I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING THE FOLLOWING SETUP FOR HOME THEATRE :-

FRONT SPEAKERS :- BP 7002 OR BP 7004
CENTRE SPEAKER :- CLR 2300
SURROUND SPEAKERS :- BP2X

RECIEVER :- DENON AVR 3805

PLS. SOMEONE SUGGEST ME IF THE ABOVE SYSTEM IS FEASIBLE. PLS. NOTE THAT I AM NOT USING A SEPARATE SUB FOR MY ROOM . MY ROOM SIZE IF 18' X 18' ( 324 SQ. FT.)

IS THERE ANY BETTER OPTION OTHER THAN DEF TECH IN THIS RANGE ?

WAITING FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL & SINCERE SUGGESTIONS.

THANKS

TWINKLE.
EMAIL :- PRUTHI9@YAHOO.CO.IN
First of all, do us all a favor and take a screwdriver and pry out your caps lock key! :D

I think that you'll find people that either love the Definitive sound or dislike it. There aren't many who simply like it, nor are there many who hate it (no reason to, I hope!).

That being said, I'm one who dislikes the Def Tech sound. When I first heard them, it was a pair of 2000's at my local B&M. I went in about a year and a half ago to start looking for a new pair of front channel speakers. I needed to replace my center channel and figured I'd get the matching center first and then save up for the fronts. I liked the big sound of the Definitives and loved the idea of on-board subs. (Wow, you don't even have to buy a sub because you get stereo subs!) They have a huge presence and effectively immerse you in the sound. They are really quite nice for movies. However, most of my use (90%) is 2-channel music. I had heard that the Definitives were poor at music, but found it hard to believe because they sounded so "good" with movies. I brought in a couple of CD's and sat and listened and decided that they sounded good with music, too. So I bought the C/L/R 2300 center.

Hooked up to my system the 2300 was awesome. It blew my existing fronts out of the water, and the on-board sub added a really impressive "boom" to the front end during movies. I knew I made the right decision. So I started saving up cash until I finally had enough to buy new fronts. I went back to my dealer with checkbook in hand and found that Definitive had introduced two new towers, the 7000 and 7001. Unfortunately, the 7000 was way out of my price range, but I figured I could probably afford the 7001's. I popped in a couple of DVDs and CDs and was like, "Wow!" They sounded even better than the 2000's. Not wanting to make a rash decision, I brought a friend down with me to audition them about a week later, and he was also like, "Wow!" With the new contender in the mix, I decided to sleep on it for a couple of days.

When I went back, they had moved the 7001's to a different room. I asked the salesman and he said that they had to move them because they got the new Paradigm Signature series set up in their "high end" room. Dazed and drooling, I went over to take a look and listen. I nearly fell over when I saw the price tags...$6000 for the S8's? Holy crap! Then I saw the Studio 100's right next to them with a $2200 price tag. Hmmm...I could probably afford those. So I sat and listened, and listened, and listened. The first thing I noticed was the clarity and precision of imaging. The soundstage they created, while less enveloping than the 7001's, was almost like looking at a 3-D picture. You could "see" where the different sounds were coming from. Needless to say, I was throroughly impressed...and confused. I went back and sat down and listened to the 7001's again. The difference was amazing. The Paradigms were clear and clean and precise, while the Def Techs were muddy and boomy and inaccurate. Even though I had already purchased the Def Tech center channel, I got the Studio 100's and have never looked back.

A couple of observations:

Definitives bi-polar design is, in my opinion, a double-edged sword. While you get the immersive qualities and the big sound, this comes from reflected sound from the rears (echo). Because of this, you sacrifice some clarity and detail, which is fundamental to 2-channel listening. It's not as critical when watching movies, because most of the dialog is sent to the center channel, and the reflective sound of the fronts does envelop you, which is great.

As far as the on-board subs go, they are a blessing and curse, too! Sure, you don't have to worry about buying a sub, because you get two! Again...stereo subs...woohoo! It's like a HT junkie wet dream. However, anybody that has wrestled with subwoofer positioning in a challenging room would cringe at the though of the subs being "connected" to the speakers. It's hard enough to position the front speakers for the best sound...I've moved mine several times. Add to that the on-board subwoofer, and you've got a recipe for madness. People are obviously able to get theirs to sound great, but I imagine it takes a really long time and some pretty clever room treatments.

Finally is the positioning of the speakers. Definitive's need to be spaced pretty far away from the walls. I don't know how much space you have for this, but it could be a challenge in a 18x18 room. If I remember correctly, they recommend at least 24" from the rear wall. This alone can be a deal-breaker for many prospective buyers (I don't know if WAF is an issue for you!).

For the money that you'd spend on the Definitive's, I'd recommend looking at other speakers, especially if you'll be listening to music and not building an HT-Only setup. I've been extremely happy with Paradigm's Studio Reference lineup. I just received my CC-570 center channel last week and I just packed up my Definitive 2300.

My advice is to listen to as much as you can in, and out of, your price range. It's better to spend a bit more and get something you'll love than to spend your budget and get something you'll like for now. See if your dealer will let you audition equipment at home. That's a much better test than listening in their environment.

Sorry for the epic tale,

Jason


ps- the 3805 is awesome! (short and sweet)
 
zipper

zipper

Full Audioholic
The Studio 100's would have been my choice,too,had I not been budgeted to $1000.Excellent speaker.
 
J

Jason Coleman

Banned
I certainly do! However, it's the cherry finish on the endcaps not the black. The wife wouldn't go for the piano thing. :D

Let me know if you're interested.

Jason
 
R

radaray58

Audioholic Intern
I'll add my two cents

Hi there,

I just purchased a Def Tech system to go with a new H-K AVR 630. As has been stated here, the sound of the system is absolutely awesome for HT use. I bought some demo 2006's and a CLR2500 center channel, since more than 50% of the sound comes from the center channel. I went with their smallest surround, the BP1.2X. My room is about 15 x 15 in the listening area, but is open on one side toward the kitchen (typical family room with fireplace on the other wall).

I was concerned that the 2006's would not produce enough base...needless concern. Just rocks the house playing The Matrix or LOTR. I really can't imagine ever needing a separate sub, but I'll bet that someday I find an extra $1000 to get one of their Supercubes.

I was concerned that I'd be unbalanced by getting the larger center channel...am VERY satisfied with it. I would definitely recommend this over the 2300 if you are looking at the 2's or 4's.

However, someone here said that it was not as impressive on 2 channel music. I would agree with that. However, I have found that I prefer to listen to stereo music in DTS Neo:6 Music, or Pro-Logic II Music, or even just the 5 Channel Stereo my H-K offers. When I play the Def Tech's in this manner, they sound as awesome as they do playing movies. The sound is much more like a live performance than listening to two speakers.

My only real concern is that the Def Tech's may not be as efficient as some other speakers. I have to drive the amp to -15 to -10 db setting on the volume when watching action movies. If you want to listen to club music at ear splitting levels, these are probably not the speakers you want.

Regarding speaker placement, Def Tech manual says you can place these as close as 5 inches from the rear wall. Closer to the wall will produce more bass. Further away with impart a more spacious sound. I spiked mine and have them about a foot off the wall. The bass sound utterly awesome to me, but I intend to play with the placement more. Just haven't had the time. Def Tech claims that by having two subs in the cabinets it eliminates the headache of having to find just the right spot for a single sub to make it sound right. I'm no expert, so I can't really say if that's completely true.

Good luck with whatever you choose. Ray.
 
Murrayb

Murrayb

Audiophyte
Jason was correct in saying that it appears people either love or hate the Def Tech sound. I guess I fall in the "love" category. I originally bought BP8s for the fronts and CLR 2000 for centre channel; BP 1s for the rears. Upgraded earlier this year to the set up you'll see in my signature. I spent a lot of time listening to other speakers (including Paradigm and B&W) and I simply thought the Def Tech's sounded better than other comparably priced speakers and even some significantly more expensive ones. For home theatre, I don't think anything comes close to them.

As for music, I disagree with Jason's comments. "Muddy, boomy and inaccurate"? Not to my ears. Crystal clear and accurate is how I would describe them. I listen to a lot of classical and jazz and I'm constantly amazed at how wonderful they sound. With the powered subwoofers, bass is not an issue. Mid-range is a strength. Vocals are incredibly accurate. Highs can be a bit bright, but combined with the Rotel amp, it tamed them for the better. Matching them with a bright receiver may not be a great idea; but then I've found that component matching is important regardless of the equipment that you are using.

I have them about 19" from the rear wall and toed inwards just a bit. I didn't find them that hard to set up to get great sound out of them.

I heartily recommend them. But, as Jason correctly points out, listen to a lot of different speakers. I've found that sound it's a very personal thing. Reading all the reviews and comments in the world can give you a great sense of what's out there, but ultimately you have to let your ears be your guide.
 
Khellandros66

Khellandros66

Banned
Deftechs take alot more tweaking to sound really good, you really need to take a look at some article on room reflections etc. With their towers esp the BP series you don't want bare walls behind em but also don't want too absorbitive material either. Also I wouldn't recommend having them facing straight out from the wall rather point them (toe) inwards don't be to shy about it either. The idea behind the design is to creat a deeper soundstage by using some reflection from the front wall.

~Bob
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Observation

If you want a realistic representation of sound through movies and music you
first need to change the dimensions of your room. Additionally you did not
include the height of your room, if you have a flat ceiling, hard flooring, tile, or carpet. The system you are looking at getting is very coherent and will go together very well. Keep in mind if you don't get good interconnectors, and or aftermarket power cables your sytem will only be as good as your weakest link. One of the best companies for both is HARMONIC TECHNOLOGY check out their web site www.harmonictech.com. One of the most informative websites you can go to that will give you more information than you will ever need is www.guidetohometheater.com, click on sweet spot. It will show you
where the "gaps" in frequency response are based on room dimensions. You can spend $200,000 in a room with poor acoustics and room dimensions and it wont sound as good as a system at a 1/4 that price in a proper room, this is not a subjective statement, it is a simple matter of the laws of physics.
I do sincerely hope you are happy with whatever system you do purchase, just make sure the advise you are getting is from an educated source.
Mark
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
I do sincerely hope you are happy with whatever system you do purchase, just make sure the advise you are getting is from an educated source.

With regard to sound quality, how many 'educated sources' would claim that the power cable is the weakest link in a system?
 
nathan_h

nathan_h

Audioholic
Jason Coleman said:
I certainly do! However, it's the cherry finish on the endcaps not the black. The wife wouldn't go for the piano thing. :D

Let me know if you're interested.

Jason
This topic is a bit old, but I'm looking for a CLR 2500 with the cherry end caps... so if this beast is still taking up space in your home, and you'd like to turn it into cash, please PM me.
 
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